Nicosia: The Cyprus issue was among matters discussed by the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Cyprus, George Gerapetritis and Constantinos Kombos respectively, during a telephone conversation on Tuesday afternoon. The focus of the conversation, which took place one day before the Greece-Turkey High Level Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow in Ankara, was the Cyprus issue and regional developments.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Spokesperson for the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Gerapetritis reiterated Greece's support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the Personal Envoy on the Cyprus issue. He also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing diplomatic activity concerning Cyprus and highlighted its prominence on the Secretary-General's agenda.
Zohiou emphasized that Greece, as an elected member of the Security Council, has been working closely with the Republic of Cyprus to secure the renewal of the mandate for the next 12 months during consultations. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Efforts led by the UN to resolve the issue have repeatedly stalled, largely due to Turkish intransigence. The last round of negotiations, held in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended without resolution.